Travis was psyched by his performance at a pro day this week, organized by the Browns at the University of Akron. In January, at the Cactus Bowl all-star game in Texas, he didn’t have shoes that fit the running surface and ran a slow 40-yard dash. “It made me sick when I found out my time,” he said. “It haunted me for a while.” He trained like a beast and ran a 4.64 at Akron, a strong time in relation to his size, 6-foot-2, 250 pounds. His agent tells him teams will be bringing him in for personal predraft workouts. That doesn’t mean he will get picked, but he believes he is good enough to play in the NFL. “I know I can,” he said. “It’s a dream of mine I’ve had every time I stepped onto a field.” West Liberty Head Coach Roger Waialae hopes Travis finds a team that can work around the fact he’s shorter than most NFL tight ends and slower than most NFL wide receivers. “I liked Ryan on the field, and I liked him even more off,” Waialae said. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime kid. He does everything the right way. He goes to class. He never missed a meeting or a practice. “He respects you if you’re a janitor or the university president, and can have a conversation with anyone. He’s a phenomenal teammate. “The biggest thing is finding a team where he fits the system and gets an opportunity.” Plenty of NFL scouts came through West Liberty — located between Steubenville and Wheeling, W.Va. — during the 2010 season. “A scout from Cleveland said Ryan really doesn’t fit a position,” Waialae said. “I said he does everything well.” - Steve Doerschuk, The Canton Repository

I posted this on another thread, but will re-post it here, as I believe it's appropriate.

On Sunday night, I was flying home with my family to Seattle. During my 5 Hour Delay in Salt Lake City, I met and talked with a guy who is currently working as a Scout for an NFL Team (I'll just keep it at that). One interesting tidbit that this scout shared with me related to the new CBA -- that's I'm not sure has been made public or not. We got to talking about all the UDFA's and we both agreed that these guys are basically screwed for this year. It's going to be really hard for a Brandon Hawthorne or Mack Strong-type to emerge this year under these circumstances. However, the practice squads are going to significantly increase under the new deal. Instead of the old limit of 5 per team, each team will have 10 practice squad spots open to them this year. So teams will have double the number of practice squad spots this year. That could potentially help a lot in increasing the odds of finding those diamonds in the rough down the road.

Here are some thoughts of Rob Rang's on a couple of the UDFA's the Hawks have signed ...

DE Pierre Allen (Nebraska):

Rang called Nebraska defensive end Pierre Allen the crown jewel of the class. At 6-foot-4 and 270 pound, Allen was considered a mid-round draft prospect, but went undrafted because of lingering hamstring issues. But Rang thinks Allen has a chance to make Seattle’s final roster as a Leo defensive end.

“They got a guy I consider a fourth or fifth round pick, and they got him as an undrafted free agent,” Rang said. “And I know that other teams were battling for them.”

“He’s a good football player. Of all of the undrafted free agents I’ve seen some far, Pierre Allen, I would be surprised at this point if he didn’t make a real run at a roster spot. He’s going to get a shot, and we’ll see if he can take advantage of it.”

WR Ricardo Lockette (Fort Valley State):

Rang also had high praise for receiver Ricardo Lockette. At 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, Lockette ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

“Whether it’s been Alex Bannister or Jordan Kent he’s one of those guys with a rare combination of size and pure speed. He’s raw, and his hands our inconsistent. But you give him a chance and see what he can do. He bring an element of speed that the team lacks. By adding them, he gives them a long speed threat that obviously they’re missing.”

What attracted you to the Seahawks? “It’s a combination of what I believe the coaches are doing here, the atmosphere and what I think we’re going to do here in the future. I think we’re going to win and win a lot and be a championship team.” – Zac Miller, August 4, 2011